The Rationale for Non-Book Materials in Libraries, Part III

In recent years, organizations that are integral to information delivery for most people have made swift changes about the dissemination of crucial data. Certain government agencies no longer issue print application forms for services. Some banks only issue account statements or updates by e-mail or text message. Particular health insurance plans require members to use their company Web sites for basic customers service. There is a widespread assumption in some business environments that "most people are computer literate and therefore we can make these sweeping changes without too much backlash," And yet, despite this assertion, there is a significant population who are not "technologically savvy," and there is not adequate training, supervision or support available to help them (Newman, 2010). At the same time, if people could be assisted in the acquisition of technological sophistication, non-book or non-print tools could be the catalysts to provide a better environment for learning. Consider the importance of these statistics as described by librarian and transliteracy advocate, Stephen Abram, in a Nov. 18, 2010, presentation at the State University of New York at Buffalo:

• Only 20 percent of people acquire new knowledge well with reading/writing of text as their dominant learning style.

• 80 percent of library users like to work independently.

• The dominant audience for video games is not teenage boys. It is college-age women and young mothers.

• 75 percent of online distance education students are single mothers (SLABuffalo, 2010).

Based on figures such as these, a different picture of who the core 21st century library patron is begins to emerge. The greatest potential for increasing library patronage lies with determining how best to serve young, motivated women who need visually-driven information delivery systems that can be integrated easily into their lifestyles. In addition to examining circulation metrics, librarianship as a profession needs to understand the psychological underpinnings of what patrons do with information, and why they are doing it. (SLABuffalo, 2010). Information professionals at all levels can better serve their patrons by improving the quality of the answer to the questions they will receive. The Internet can handle the who, what, and where questions of the world. It's the how and why questions that require real research skills. Examples of "how and why" questions include consumer health, do-it-yourself activities, genealogy, technology skills, and job and career searches. By providing access and instructions for non-book materials, librarians can manage a variety of learning styles, offer people some independence, and "improve the quality of the question" for their patrons (SLABuffalo, 2010; Abram, 2010). For some libraries, the future is already here and they have proven results to demonstrate that non-book materials plus an emphasis on transliteracy can best serve the patron and confirm the value of libraries.

Abram, S. (2010). Getting our game on: Library futures [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from http://stephenslighthouse.com/

Newman, B.L. (2010). Libraries and transliteracy. [PowerPoint slides}. Retrieved from http://librarianbyday.net/transliteracy/transliteracy-slideshows-and-videos/

SLABuffalo. (2010, Nov. 21). Stephen Abram at UB [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-gSNn17Z64.

Bobbie L. Newman's presentation on Libraries and Transliteracy

Stephen Abram's Web site

Stephen Abram's UB lecture on YouTube